Device for recording shrinkage in brick in process of burning.



No. 635,023. Patented Oct. l7, I899. A. J. POHL. DEVICE FOR RECORDING SHRINKAGE lN BRICK IN PROCESS OF BURNING.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1897.)

3 Sheets$heet I,

(No Model.)

INVENTOR WITNESSES THE Nunms mains cov Pwwmjma, WASHINGTON, o c.

No. 635,023. Patented Oct. I7, I899. A. J. POHL.

DEVICE FOR RECORDING SHRINKAGE IN BRICK IN PROCESS OF BURNING. (Application filed Nov. 10, 1897.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITNESSES 1N VE NT 01? m: Nomus versus co. pnoraumun WASHINGTON. n. c,

No. 635,023. Patented Oct. I7, I899. A. J. POHL. DEVICE FOR RECORDING SHRINKAGE IN BRICK IN PROCESS OF BURNING.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

I I 72 mi [N VENT OR PV] T NE S S E 5 THE NORRR; PEYERS CO PHDTO-UTHQ, WASHINGTON. D C.

be a full, clear, and exact description of the UNITED STATES PATENT Ounce.

AUGUST J. POHII, 0F ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA.

DEVICE FOR RECORDING SHRINKAGE IN BRICK IN PROCESS OF BURNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,023, dated October 1'7, 1899.

Application filed November 10, 1897. Serial No. 658,081. (No modeLl To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, AUGUST J. POHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Alexandria and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices to Record Shrinkage in Brick in the Process of Burning; and I do hereby declare the following to invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful devices for measuring and recording the shrinkage of brick while being burned.

Myinvention comprises certain novel forms of construction and combinations of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate the same parts in the several views.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a brick-kiln, showing my improved mechanism attached thereto. Fig. 2 represents a front view of my recorder on a large scale. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 4 represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 5 represents a detail of the manner in which my device is connected to the brick in the kiln. Fig. 6 representsa detail of one of the pencil-points. Fig. 7 is a diagram of a small portion of the recording-sheet.

The numeral 1 indicates a brick-kiln of any i approved construction, that shown being of the rectangular downdraft type, although my device is equally applicable to beehive and updraft kilns. Bricks 2 are shown in 1 this kiln. A cabinet 3 is held upon the outside of the kiln at such height from the I ground as will enable the interior of the same to be easily observed. This cabinet contains the recording and indicating mechanisms connected with my device, whichI will now pro- 1 ceed to describe in detail. The cabinet is 1 preferably divided by a partition 4:, as shown. i Clockwork 5 is held in the upper portion, and j a spindle or roller 6 is connected therewith. l A similar spindle or roller 7 is held to rotate at the opposite end of the casing, and I may i arrange this so that it can be removed from the cabinet or introduced therein at will. i

Wound upon this spindle 7 and extending across the rear of the cabinet is a strip of paper 8, graduated horizontally in inches and fractions thereof, as at O, and having a datum-line plainly marked thereon. This strip should be several inches wider than the extreme shrinkage that can be obtained in the brick, and the datum-line should be several inches from the bottom of the strip. The paper is also graduated vertically at such distances that one whole space will be rolled upon the roller 6 during each hour. A platen 10 is held at the back of the cabinet behind said paper to support the same. A series of rods 11 are held in this casing, being supported in guides 12 at a distance on centers preferably equaling some multiple of the hour-space, although other distances may be used. These rods I prefer to make with an opening extending longitudinally through the center for purposes described below.

Flexible connections 13 in the form of wires, cables, chains, or the like extend over suit able pulleys 1 1, here shown as being supported on adjustable arms 15, and are attached to the rods 11. I prefer to have a wire 16 held upon one end of each of the flexible connections 13. This wire extends through one of the openings above referred to and is held thereon by any suitable means, as a set-screw 17. This permits the rod to be adjustably attached to the flexible connection. At the other end of each of the flexible connections is a weight 18.

A fire-brick 19 supports this weight on top of the stack of brick within the kiln, the upper end of this fire-brick extending out of said kiln through any suitable opening.

I have here shown but three rods and connections between them and three points in the kiln-back, middle, and front; but it is obvious that any number of points could be taken intermediate or to the sides of these.

Sleeves 2O slide upon the rods 11, being held at any desired point thereon by suitable setscrews 21. Pencils 32 are adjust-ably mounted on these sleeves.

I have here shown a tube bearing a portcrayon 23, moving therein and pressed out therefrom by a spring 2%. I prefer to use in the port-crayons pencils of different colors to indicate clearly the different variations of shrinkage in the different parts of the kiln.

To the end that the same may be read more easily I provide at the top of my record-sheet a number of series of name als indicating the different hours, and these are printed in colors corresponding to the colors of the pencils. The arrangement will be clear from an inspection of Fig. 7. In this figure are shown three series of numerals, and we will assume that the left-hand rod 11 is connected to the front of the kiln and carries a black pencil, the middle rod to the middle of the kiln and carries a blue pencil, and the right hand is armed with a red pencil and is connected with the rear of the kiln. It will thus be obvious that when the bricks begin to shrink from burning the rods 11 will be drawn up by the weights 18, and the pencils 22, secured to said rods, will trace the amount of shrinkage on therecording-sheet, the pencil secured to the lefthand rod indicating the shrinkage by a black mark in the space indicated as the first hour by the bottom horizontal row of numerals on the recording-sheet, the pencil secured to the middle rod indicating the shrinkage by a blue mark in the space indicated as the first hour by the middle horizontal row of numerals on the recording-sheet, and the pencil secured to the right-hand rod indicating the shrinkage by a red mark in the space indicated as the first hour by the top horizontal row of nu merals on the recording-sheet. The trace of the pencil of any of the colors would thus indicate the position thereof at the hour indicated by the numeral in the same color.

If by reason of the length of the connection or weight of any of the parts the weight of the rod is not sufficient to hold the connection taut, the rods may be weighted, as shown at 25.

In using my invention the arms, with the rollers attached thereto, are adjusted overthe openings made in the top of the kiln. The fire-bricks are dropped through these openings and the weights placed thereon. The flexible connections are then led over the pulleys to the cabinet, where they are attached to their respective rods, the latter being adjusted by means of the set-screw so as to bring their upper ends just above the datum-line of the paper, which has been previously set so that hour-line 0 will correspond to the center of the left-hand rod. The pencil is now adjusted to bring the point on the datumline and the fires and the clock started at the same time. As the bricks are heated there will be some expansion and the bars will drop to some extent, thus making a. series of downwardly-tending marks upon the paper. \Vhen, however, the bricks reach the point at which they begin to burn, they also begin to shrink, and in order to insure a good qualityof brick throughout the kiln this shrinkage must be carried on evenly. The different bars should move up evenly, and if they vary the fires should be regulated to correct this variation.

This device not only indicates accurately the dilference in the various parts of the kiln, but leaves a record, so that the person in charge of the burning mayscc that his assistants properly attend to the tires during his absence and may also have a record of all burns.

The device thus constitutes a simple, accurate, and reliable indicator and recorder, which effectuallyobviates all need of ascending to the top of the kiln and measuring with an iron rod, observing the top of the bricks through openings in the sides of the kiln, or any other of the crude and unsatisfactory methods now in use.

It is obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form and details of this invention without affecting the principles thereof, and I do not therefore desire to confine myself to the exact form herein shown and described, but wish to include all that properly come within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a shrinkage-indicator for brick-kilns, the combination with a series of weights adapted to be supported upon the brick within thekiln, of indicators suitably supported outside of said kiln, flexible connections each extending from one of said weights to one of said indicators, pencils carried by said indicators, and a strip of paper held to move he neath said pencils, and register the movements of said indicators.

2. In a shrinkage-indicat-or torbricl:-kilns, the combination with a series of weights adapted to be supported noon the brick within the kiln, a casing held upon the outside of said kiln, rods held to move in said casing, flexible connections each extending from one of said rods to one of said wei hts, and means for adj ustably attaching said connections to said rods.

3. In a shrinkage-indicator for brick-kilns, the combination with a series of weights adapted to be supported upon the brick within the kiln, a casing held upon the outside of said kiln, rods held to move in said casing, adjustable indicators mount-ed upon said rods, flexible connections each extending from one of said rods to one of said weights, and means for adj ustably attaching said connections to said rods.

4. In a shrinkage-indicator for brick-kilns, the combination with a series of weights adapted to be supported upon the brick within the kiln, a casing held upon the outside of said kiln, rods held to move in said casing, adjustable indicators mounted upon said rods, pencil-holders formed upon said indicators, flexible connections each extending from one of said rods to one of said weights, and means for adjustably attaching said connectionsto said rods.

5. In a shrinkage-indicator for brick-kilns, the combination with a series of weights adapted to be supported upon the brick within the kiln, a casing held upon the outside of said kiln, rods held; to move in said casing,

adjustable indicators mounted upon said rods, pencil-holders formed upon said indi= ca'tors, flexible connections each extending from one of said rods to one of said weights,

means for adjustably attaching said connec- 1 tions to said rods, and means for registering the movements of said rods.

6. In ashrinkage-indicator for brick-kilns,

the combination with a series of weights,

adapted to be supported upon the brick with from one of said rods to one of said weights, 1

means for adjustably attaching said connec- L tions to said rods, pencils carried insaid pen- 3 oil-holders, and paper held to press against 1 said pencil-points and move in front thereof. 7. In a shrinkage-indicator for brick-kilns, the combination with a series of weights adapted to be supported upon the brick with in the kiln, a casing held upon the out-side of said kiln, rods held to move in said casing, adjustable indicators mounted upon said rods, pencil-holders formed upon said indicators, flexible connections each extending from one of said rods to one of said Weights, means for adjustably attaching said connections to said rods, pencils carried in said pencil-holders, a strip of paper held to press against said pencils, rollers held to rotate in said casing and adapted toreceive said paper, and clockwork held to rotate said rollers and cause said paper to move in front of said pencils.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUST J. POHL.

Witnesses:

B. F, PENN, R. D. WATTLEs. 

